Stan Mortensen

Stanley Harding Mortensen was an English footballer who played as a centre-forward and is one of the all-time greats of English football. He was an inspiration for a generation of strikers.

Mortensen was born on 26 May 1921 in South Shields, Durham, England. He was the first England player to score in the FIFA World Cup qualifying and also the first England player to score in the tournament.

Background

Mortensen started playing for St. Mary's School when he was 9 years old. He was a keen footballer and was coached by the son of his mother's sister.

He played for a club named South Shields Ex-Schoolboys after dropping out of school at the age of 14. He was signed by Blackpool FC in 1937 but failed to make an appearance and was offered a one-year extension in 1939.

On the outbreak of second world war, Mortensen joined the Air Force and went to war as a wireless operator in 1939. He sustained head injuries in a plane crash in which he was the sole survivor.

The doctors told him that he would not be fit for operational duties ever and should also end his football career as heading the ball could cause problems for him.

He was then stationed at an Air Base in Scotland and played in some matches for Aberdeen FC continuing to score relentlessly in every match.

He later played as a guest for Arsenal in the 1944-45 season and dominated the scoring charts with 25 goals in 19 appearances.

Debut

Mortensen made his international debut for England giving a scintillating performance notching four goals against Portugal on 25 May 1947 as England thrashed Portugal by 10-0.

In his first five games for England, Mortensen scored nine goals in matches against teams including Belgium, Wales, Northern Ireland and Sweden.

Club Career

In the 1946-47 season, Mortensen made his league debut and impressed everyone with his deft skills. In the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park, he scored three goals taking Blackpool to their first ever FA Cup final.

In the final at Wembley against Manchester United, despite Blackpool taking an early lead United equalized the score. Mortensen then scored a goal becoming the first ever player to score in every round of the FA Cup as United eventually won by 4-2.

Mortensen played mostly for Blackpool in his career making 317 appearances and scoring 197 goals during 1941-55 for the club.

He was briefly associated with clubs including Hull City, Southport, Bath City and Leicester where he retired in July 1962.

Records

Mortensen made 25 appearances for England and scored 23 goals in them. He also won the FA Cup in 1953 with the Blackpool.

He died on 22 May 1991 and was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2003.